Nine Little Ring Bearers
by Andunewen
Summary: The Fellowship of the Ring mixed up with Christie's Ten Little Indians. And who is the m-u-r-d-e-r-e-r? STORY COMPLETED
1. Default Chapter

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
This is like the one Agatha Christie´s story. If you love too much the members of the Fellowship, don´t read this. I´m (with a little help from my cousin) not going to be very nice to them. But anyway, this story contains fear and excitement, who is under the influence of the Ring?  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring," lord Elrond finished his council in Rivendell in year 3018 of the third time of Middle-Earth. Four hobbits, two men, a dwarf, an elf and a wizard were to begin their hopeless journey towards Mordor. Their oath was to destroy the One Ring made by the evil maia Sauron. If Sauron got the ring, he would destroy the beauty of Middle-Earth and enslave all its people.  
  
A hobbit Frodo Baggins had inherited the Ring from his relative Bilbo who had won (or stolen) it from an addicted creature Gollum. Frodo had brought the Ring to Rivendell to a council of the free peoples of Middle-Earth. His loyal gardener Samwise Gamgee had been his helper on the way and also two other hobbits Merry and Pippin had come with them. Though they had not been for much help for Frodo. Frodo had hoped to go home after bearing the Ring to Rivendell, but somehow he felt that he had to take it further. All the way to the firy nightmare of the Mount Doom.  
  
"This way Frodo," Gandalf advised the way out of Rivendell the elven city. The Fellowship walked in a line starting to head towards the Misty Mountains, Gandalf in the front. All there was public about Gandalf was that he was a wizard, a very old wizard who knew a lot. The hobbits had known Gandalf for ages, he was a friend of Bilbo. Actually he seemed to be a friend of many others, too.  
  
The first of the two men in the Fellowship was a mysterious looking ranger. He was called Aragorn. He and Gandalf had know each other a long time and they were on the quest because of will to save Middle-Earth. But they both had also a special mission to fulfill which were laid on them long before.  
  
The another man was Boromir, the heir of the Steward of Gondor. The people of Gondor had been threatened by the foes of Sauron and he wanted to destroy Sauron. Boromir did not wholy agree with the other members of Elrond´s council. He tried to explain them that they should use the Ring, use it to help the enemies of Sauron to destroy him.  
  
The rest of the Fellowship was formed by together arguing elf and dwarf. The elf was Legolas prince of the gloomy Mirkwood and the dwarf was Gimli son of Gloin. The elf and the dwarf hated each other because of the ever lasting suspicion between their races.  
  
"We have a long journey to travel together with them, master Frodo," Sam said quietly walking along a narrow path after Frodo. "I hope we can trust to everyone."  
  
"I´m sure we can," Frodo answered turning towards Sam. "Don´t worry Sam. Elrond has chosen them. We are in safe." Frodo continued going on after Gandalf, the Ring hanging on his neck..  
  
  
  
So, here was the first (short) chapter. I had a little bit problems writing this, I don´t like writing these kind of introducing chapters. Maybe I had problems also because I´m Finnish. So please don´t mind my mistakes. If you have read this far, I hope you´d like to review! I´ll try to write the next chapter soon. I can´t wait to punish the cutie Fellowship boys. Punish from what? From making my life so inbearable! I´m all about LotR all the time. My family, my friends can´t stand me any longer. OK, enough complaining. I wouldn´t stop reading Tolkien what ever happened! So, PLEASE review and DON´T read the following chapters if you don´t wanna see the boys get hurt. Yeah, I´m one of those many evil writers here. ;) 


	2. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
So, the story goes on. I got reviews! Amazing. Thank you so much people. :)  
  
This is like that Agatha Christie book. Is it called "Ten Little Negro Boys" in English or what? (I wouldn´t want to use that negro-word, sorry.)  
  
And yeah, I DON´T own any LotR characters.  
  
By the way, I´ve read the book two times, but I may remember some things wrong so my plot probably doesn´t follow the book correctly. I´m trying to check some things, though.  
  
Enough explaining, now I´ll let you read this! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The Fellowship had travelled for weeks from Rivendell. They were walking near the Misty Mountains towards south, planning to cross the Mountains near a peak Caradhras. They had travelled by night and hadn´t dared to light any campfires. Now they had arrived to Eregion where elves had lived long ago.  
  
"Are you sure this is a safe place?" Aragorn asked Gandalf, looking doubtfully in every direction.  
  
"Yes, yes," Gandalf insisted. "I have travelled here very often. Not every place in Middle-Earth should be feared." He walked around an opening examining the ground. "I think we could light a fire here," he said. "At last."  
  
"Warm food!" Pippin cried out happily. "I was becoming desperate."  
  
Aragorn and Boromir gathered some wood into a pile and lit a fire. The Fellowship sat together around the fire and warmed their modest breakfast. Everything around them was quiet, there was no sound from animals or anything. The sun was still behind the mountains and the mountains could not be seen.  
  
"Tomorrow we will start to climb over those mountains," Gandalf said after a long silence. "We will go through the pass of Caradhras."  
  
Merry started coughing. "Climb? Should´t a pass save us from climbing?" he asked disappointedly. Pippin raised his face from his portion looking also terrified.  
  
"Are you afraid of climbing, young hobbits?" Aragorn asked laughing. "Well Shire is a pretty flat place. We have to go high before we reach the pass, but yes, it will save us from more climbing."  
  
"Shire is a perfect place, if you asked me," Sam added. "We just wonder if there isn´t another possibility to go to the other side of the mountains?"  
  
Gimli opened his mouth but Gandalf managed to prevent him from talking. "It is the best and the safest way," he said looking disapprovingly at Gimli. "Not all the ways that seem easy are good for us. We are not just a company of nine friends walking around. They have not stopped hunting you, Frodo," Gandalf finished compassionately.  
  
Frodo felt a sudden pain on his chest where the Morgul blade had stabbed him and his face came to a desperate grin.  
  
"Master Frodo!" Sam ran towards his friend. "Is it the scar again?" he tapped Frodo´s hand gently. "Oh please, don´t remind him about it all the time!" Sam pegged turning to the others. "Not until the he is healthy again."  
  
Gandalf looked at the ground. "I´m sorry Sam. But the wound won´t ever wholly heal. Frodo will have to live with it all his life."  
  
"I know that," Frodo´s weak voice said. Everybody turned towards him. "And the Ring is making it even more painful. That´s why I want to get rid of the Ring as soon as possible. And I cannot get rid of it before Mordor," Frodo said. He had submitted to his fate.  
  
"Oh yes you can," Boromir said impatiently. "If those Nazgúls find us you don´t have to worry about the Ring anymore. And I think many others would also accept it."  
  
Legolas rose up. "Well I hope you Boromir understand too that we have no other choice but to try to take the Ring to Mordor. No matter how our quest ends," he almost shouted at Boromir.  
  
"And you just can´t think of anyone else being right than those of your kind," Boromir said back.  
  
"Oh please stop arguing," Sam could not be quiet anymore. "I think that we have enough problems without fights between us. We all have to support Frodo," he said lowering his voice. "At least that is what I think."  
  
Aragorn scattered the campfire. "You´re right Sam. We have to be careful not to draw any attention to ourselves," he said with a calm voice. "But this journey is making us all tired and despaired." "And that´s why we have to go to rest now. I´m taking the first watch," Aragorn told throwing sand over the firebrands.  
  
The Fellowship laid down to the ground close to each other while Aragorn started to walk around them, smoking his pipe.  
  
"Frodo," Sam whispered faintly. "Are you sure you´re alright?"  
  
Frodo smiled. "Thanks for caring, but don´t worry about me. I think you should be more worried about Pippin and his warmed food. I don´t think we´ll have another fire for a while. But that´s probably the best."  
  
"Yeah, we can travel like the shadows. In the shadows," Sam mumbled before he falled asleep.  
  
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Here it was. Not much of anything happening, but I promise that in the next chapter something will happen. I noticed that I´m changing the plot maybe a bit too much, but at least I´m not copying everything from Tolkien.  
  
I wonder if anyone is reading this story? But anyway, probably I´m going to go on with this. I´ve already decided how I´m going to end this. After a few chapters. 


	3. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
  
  
I don´t own the characters.  
  
It´s twelve o´clock in the night but I want at least to start a new chapter.  
  
Warning! This is the first not-so-nice chapter. Be prepared for the worst.  
  
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Chapter 3  
  
"Hide! Wake up and hide! Quick!"  
  
The sun had already risen when Legolas´s shout woke up everyone. "What is it?" Gimli asked angrily. "Why did you wake us up?"  
  
"It´s the crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted. He was standing far away from the others, observing the horizont. "Hide quickly somewhere! The black cloud is coming closer!"  
  
Everyone ran around looking for a hiding place. Sam pushed sleepy Merry and Pippin under a boulder, Aragorn threw Frodo into a thick bush. Soon there was no sign of the nine companions.  
  
Creepy high screams were heard in the sky when the black birds flew over the hiding place. A shadow moved over the opening, the sun was covered for a few seconds. The Fellowship waited a long time laying still behind rocks, bushes and trees. The hobbits had closed their eyes and tried to breath without a sound.  
  
After a long time Gandalf dared to step back into the twilight. "They have gone for now," he said wearily. "I hope we hid enough well and fast."  
  
Aragorn had been hiding nearby and he walked to Gandalf. "What were they? I have never seen such a big flock of birds before. And such dark," he ended gazing at Gandalf.  
  
"Saruman´s spies. He is looking for the Ring."  
  
Aragorn sighed. "First the Nazgúls and now Saruman. At least our fire wasn´t burning anymore, hopefully they didn´t notice us."  
  
Gandalf shaked his head. "We have not been careful enough. Evil things can happen if continue like this." Gandalf looked around him. "We have to go on now. If we are fast enough, Saruman may not make our journey even more difficult. Come out everyone. We are safe for now."  
  
Boromir, Gimli, Sam and Frodo rose up from their hiding places and walked towards Gandalf and Aragorn. "Where are the rest of us?" Aragorn asked when no-one else came to the opening. "I thought we all hid near. Come out! The birds have gone!" he called out while looking under bushes.  
  
A small voice was heard behind him. "Come on Pippin. Gandalf won´t be too happy if he has to wait for us," it said.  
  
"No. No. I don´t want to hear that squeal again. It makes my heart stop," Pippin´s shaking voice defended.  
  
Merry laughed forcedly. "At least your heart works for now. Those birds could have found us only be following the sound of your heart beats," he said angrily to Pippin. "Now, up!" And he pushed Pippin upward and straight towards Aragorn.  
  
"There you are," Aragorn said scolding. "You have to forget your fears, Pippin. You will have to face them all the time." A suspicious tone was in Aragorn´s voice when he looked at the empty place of the ninth companion. "Where has Legolas gone? He should hear our voices even if he was far away."  
  
"Maybe he is watching somewhere for more crebain," Gandalf tried to encourage the rest of the Fellowship. He raised his voice to an echoing yell. "Legolas! Legolas! We are here!"  
  
A deep silence followed when the echoing had stopped. No sign of the elf. The Fellowship waited suspensed.  
  
Boromir broke the quiet. "We´ll have to go looking for him. We can´t waste any time." He divided the companions into three groups. "You´ll go there," he pointed to Gandalf and Gimli. "You four stay here and tell us if he comes back," he told to the hobbits. "Aragorn, will you come with me? Let´s go there." Boromir and Aragorn started heading towards the place they had seen Legolas for the last time.  
  
The hobbits walked around the opening in panic. "I hope nothing has happened to him," Pippin cried. "We are still far away from Mordor. We can´t start dying now."  
  
"Don´t talk about dying!" Sam screamed. "Nobody is dying here. Nothing could happen to Legolas. He´s an elf, after all," he asserted. "How come you have so gloomy thoughts nowadays, Pippin?" Sam looked wondering at Pippin.  
  
"How come?!" Pippin face became red from anger behind his tears. "I suppose I should be happy all the time. All the Nazgúl and crebain and orcs and dragons flying after us. Yes, there´s nothing to worry about, Sam."  
  
"What is all this noise?" Gimli came to the hobbits. "I thought we had to find Legolas." Gandalf walked behind him.  
  
Frodo looked wretched at the arrivers. "You didn´t see him?" he asked weakly.  
  
Gandalf breathed heavily. "No we didn´t. But I´m sure that Aragorn and Boromir will."  
  
At that same moment they saw Aragorn coming closer. But only his back could be seen. When he walked closer to Gandalf, Gimli and the hobbits they saw also Boromir. And that what Aragorn and Boromir carried between them. The six members of the Fellowship could not move. They only waited.  
  
Aragorn and Boromir carried Legolas´s frail body. They lowered him to the ground in the middle of the Fellowship. He was lying still.  
  
"We found him behind the hill where he had seen the crebain," Boromir told them, almost crying. "He´s dead."  
  
The remaining Fellowship looked without believing their eyes at Legolas´s beautiful face, which had become pale white.  
  
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I´m so sorry, Legolas-fans. I had to do that! If you didn´t like what happened in this chapter, do not read further.  
  
Thanks to my cousin, I couldn´t describe dead :( Legolas all alone. 


	4. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
Thanks for the reviews! Nice that you like this, but it´s causing me some pressure. If the following chapters won´t be as good (?!) as the previous ones. Then the one who is going to be killed will be me.  
  
Anyway, I´m going to try to write this well. And as fast as I can. Sorry if I update slowly, but my long Christmas holiday ended today and school started again. Damn.  
  
One more thing: Thank you someone (sorry, I forgot your name) for telling me the name of that great Agatha Christie´s book I stole (oops) this plot from. It´s called "Nine Little Indians".  
  
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Chapter 4  
  
The eight members of the Fellowship of the Ring stand still around the elf. Their silent moment seemed like a peaceful while for the commemoration of Legolas´s memory but inside everybody´s mind was confused about what they saw. Their journey had begun well but the black birds had brought a loss. There were no more nine travellers against the nine ringwraiths.  
  
Frodo broke the silence. "Are you sure he´s dead?" he asked quietly from Boromir.  
  
Boromir looked at him and saw the hopeless countenance on the hobbit´s face. "He is. And has been a long time," Boromir said. "He was cold already when we found him."  
  
Sam took a short step towards Legolas´s body. "Maybe he´s just unconscious," he tried. "Maybe he fell down from the hill or something," Sam tried to force his voice sound carefree.  
  
Boromir took a short glance at Aragorn who nodded. "Boromir is right, he is dead, Samwise. But I don´t know if he fell," Aragorn said heavily. Boromir bent down next to Legolas. Slowly he turned the elf around.  
  
Those who had not seen before what had happened to the victim took a deep breath. The elf´s back of the head was all covered in blood. Boromir raised the elf´s hair and everyone could see a wide bruise.  
  
"That is not made by the crebain," Gandalf cried out. He also stooped down beside Legolas examining the scar. "He might have fallen to a rock. But he must have fallen down from very high if it caused this bruise," he continued sinistery.  
  
"There was no rocks." Boromir began but Aragorn silenced him with a sharp look. "We will have to bury him now," he said determined.  
  
"But we cannot leave him like this!" Gimli opposed. "If we don´t even know what happened to him! We must solve this." The hobbits nodded their heads for confirmation but they could not say anything because of the shock.  
  
Gandalf laid his staff loudly on the ground. "We will have to go on because it looks like Saruman knows where to search for us. We cannot linger." A group of angry protests from the hobbits and Gimli interrupted him. Gandalf hushed them with a wave of his hand. "We will bury him. And he will be remembered and honoured in tales afterwards."  
  
Aragorn and Boromir lifted Legolas up again and everyone started walking towards an area of short trees. Gandalf continued: "He would not have wanted us to waste time because of him. He is on his way to halls of Mandos now, but I am sure that he wants us to do everything for our quest."  
  
There was no complaining anymore and a grave was made under the trees. Softly Legolas was lowered into it and his bow and arrows were put beside him.  
  
"Rest in peace. Let your bow sing in the Undying Lands even greater as it has sung here in Middle-Earth," Gandalf whispered in elvish. After a few minutes silence he turned and started heading towards the mountains. The rest of the Fellowship covered Legolas´s grave and followed Gandalf with their heads bent down.  
  
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This was a very short chapter. I meant to write more to it but I want to upload quickly. Because I know how awful it is to wait! (It seems to me that someone is really waiting for this, thank you so much from your positive reviews! But you can say something negative too, I know I´m not a very good writer.)  
  
Nice to hear about who you think killed Legolas. (Hey, how did you know he was killed?! ;) Flame thinks it´s Boromir. What about the others? 


	5. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
It´s very frightening to start a new chapter. Especially if you´re not so sure about what you´re going to write. You are afraid that this is that chapter where all begins to go wrong. That the story won´t have enough "magic" anymore.  
  
So, I´m afraid. Has anyone else had these kind of feelings when writing? Well, I just have to write those feelings down and make the Fellowship fear. . .  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Chapter 5  
  
The Fellowship had travelled a long time up the Misty Mountains. They were heading towards the pike Caradhras. There was a pass there and they were planning to go through the pass to the other side of the shadowy mountains. It had started to snow and snow gathered to the path which the Fellowship was taking.  
  
"Is it still a long way to go?" Pippin asked tired. He was floundering in the knee-high snow, trying to force his frozen legs to move.  
  
Merry was tramping behind him with an frustrated look. "Oh Pippin. Just look up. We are not even near Caradhras yet," he declared. Merry and Pippin were the last ones of the climbing group and they were beginning to straggle from the others. "And would you mind walking a little bit faster. I don´t wish to get stuck in the snow with you alone."  
  
In the other end of the slowly moving line Aragorn and Gandalf were discussing. "It´s snowing hard," Aragorn stated dimly. "I hope the snow won´t block our path."  
  
Gandalf looked around pondering. "If it won´t start snowing faster, I think we can continue this way," he said and went on quietly: "You know Aragorn. The other ways are too dangerous. We can´t risk to take them." Aragorn nodded gravely.  
  
Strider and the grey wizard moved on a while in silence. "We must not let anything evil happen anymore," Aragorn started. "That deprivation was almost too big for us," he said gazing tight at Gandalf.  
  
Gandalf sighed. "You are right. We must be cautious," he admitted unwilling to say more.  
  
Aragorn looked questionable at him. "I know you don´t want to cause more grieve by talking about this, but we have to. Who knows what might happen later if we won´t find out what killed Legolas." Gandalf seemed suffering but Aragorn didn´t stop. "You know he was killed. An elf wouldn´t just slip down from a cliff and hit his head on a rock," Aragorn said laughing darkly and then his face became grave again. "We couldn´t find any rocks from the ground near the place we found him. But we found something else." Aragorn put his hand on his bag and took forth a piece of black stone. A bloody piece of black stone.  
  
Gandalf turned his glance quickly away. "That doesn´t prove anything," he blurted out. "That might be the stone where he hit his head when he fell. How can you say that someone . . . killed him with this?" he looked fearfully at Aragorn.  
  
"We found it under some bushes. It was thrown there. Someone tried to hide it," Aragorn told desperately. "I know you know too that he was killed, you are wiser than me. Why can´t you just admit it?" he said looking begginly at his old friend.  
  
Gandalf had remained quiet calm but now he became furious. He placed his hands on Aragorn´s shoulders and prevented him from walking. "Don´t you understand, Aragorn?" he almost shouted. "If we tell everyone that Legolas was killed by someone, what would happen to our company? How would the athmosphere change? We would fear every noise, every shadow, everything unusual. Frodo has to bear a great burden already. We cannot enlarge it." There was no sign from the fearful Gandalf anymore. His voice was determined and his decision final.  
  
Aragorn´s countenance grew pale. Carefully he mumbled out a concession. "You are right. It is best for our quest to leave this subject. As I said, you are wiser than me," he said troubled.  
  
Gandalf noticed that he was still holding Aragorn´s shoulders and let go. "Good that you understand. Because this is the only way to. . ."  
  
Gandalf could not finish his sentence because a loud roar interrupted him. The Fellowship was walking beside a high precipice and next to them was a deep gorge.  
  
"Watch out for the snow!" Boromir´s yell made Gandalf and Aragorn see the avalanche which was falling on them. Quickly they nestled themselves against the precipice and then the snow fell.  
  
After the last rests of the avalanche had fallen there was not anything else to be seen than white snow. No sign of the company which had few seconds ago marched beside the gorge. Suddenly a hand appeared upon the snow. Then another hand. Aragorn made his way out of the snow and started to help the others. Soon everybody was taken out from the bank of snow. Almost everybody.  
  
"Where is Gimli?" Pippin noticed. The members of the Fellowship looked in all directions.  
  
"He´s still in the snow!" Boromir shouted. Everyone, including the hobbits, started throwing the snow away. Merry even tried to dive into the snow. But they could not find the dwarf.  
  
Unexpectedly Gandalf sat down on the snow and shaked his head. "No use to look for him," he said.  
  
The others looked at him astonished. "Why not?" Sam asked. "We can´t leave him to freeze to death!"  
  
Gandalf shooked his head again. "The gorge," he told slowly. "He has fallen down to the gorge."  
  
The seven companions of the Fellowship looked disbelieving down to the deep dark gorge, trying to see its bottom, but in vain.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I kind of like this chapter (at least more than the previous ones). Gandalf and Aragorn are arguing and so. But the ending is boring, I admit.  
  
FanFiction has been broken already almost two days when I´m writing this and I´m getting desperate! I wrote this chapter ages ago but I haven´t been able to put it in the Internet. Hopefully it won´t take very long to repair FF. I will be on a scout camp the whole following weekend and if FF doesn´t work on next morning (Friday) I can´t download this new chapter before Sunday evening. So sorry if you had to wait! 


	6. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
I´ve become a slow writer and updater, sorry. I have so many ideas but I´m too lazy to write them down.  
  
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Chapter 6  
  
"Gandalf is right," Aragorn told to the others. He had examined their surroundings. "There is no foodprints on the snow. The dwarf could not have gone anywhere, except." he did not have to finish his sentence.  
  
Boromir sighed. "So we´ve lost another friend. What madness is hunting us?" he cried out desperately.  
  
Frodo looked down to the gorge with an empty glance. "Our quest has seemed hopeless already from the beginning," he stated.  
  
Sam heard his words and became sad but also a bit angry to him. "What are you saying, master Frodo? We can´t lose hope. At least not you," he ended trying to encourage Frodo.  
  
"That is true," Gandalf admitted wearily but with a thin smile. "We must not lose our hope. And there is no reason why we should."  
  
Boromir did not quite agree. "No reason? Yeah, right. . ."  
  
"There will be many reasons to fear and lose hope if we start fearing," the old wizard became furious. "Gimli´s death was an accident. No one said our quest would not be dangerous," he reminded.  
  
"But what about Legolas´s death? That didn´t seem like a bare accident," Boromir started but Aragorn hushed him with a small wave of his hand.  
  
"We shouldn´t scare the hobbits," he whispered.  
  
"Oh yeah. I´m sure they feel very safe now when we don´t know anything about anything," Boromir opposed.  
  
Aragorn was going to tell Boromir about what he had spoken with Gandalf but he decided not to. "Gandalf," he shouted to the wizard. "This snowing doesn´t seem to stop. I don´t think we can take the road through the pass of Caradhras. We must turn back!"  
  
Gandalf mumbled something by himself. "Too much snow. . . Cannot continue. . ." Then he stood straight again and reported to the others. "Our passing here has been meant to fail. It is better for us to retreat and go down from the mountains. We must take another road," he accepted unwillingly.  
  
"We can take the westward road and head to Minas Tirith!" Boromir cried out. "We will receive help from my father´s men there."  
  
Gandalf shook his head. "It is too long and dangerous way to your city. And we would have to pass Isengard." Unhappily he continued: "There is one way that Gimli would have wanted us to take. Through the mines of Moria." Aragorn closed his eyes feeling a sudden pain when Gandalf´s words hit him. "I´ll let the Ring Bearer decide which road we will take," Gandalf ended.  
  
Frodo did not think long of his decision. "Silent mines sound much peaceful and safer to me than crossing the open lands near Saruman," he glanced to the others looking for some acceptance. After a few seconds Aragorn nodded his head. "We will go through the mines," Frodo concluded and the remaining companions started their descent back from the mountains to the place where they had met their first grievous lost.  
  
* * *  
  
Slowly the Company took the snowy path down from the mountain. Aragorn and Boromir had to bear the hobbits part of the time. Otherwise the small ones would have been buried to the high crusts of snow. Finally they reached the lower land again and because it had become dark, the exhausted companions stopped for the night. They all ate a mouthful of miruvor from the Rivendell and sat quietly together, the wind howling in the air.  
  
"How the wind is howling. . ." Aragorn pondered and suddenly sprang up to his feet. "It is not the wind. Those are wolf-howls!"  
  
Pippin became terrified. "Wolfs! Oh, they are going to eat us alive. . . This is not going well, not at all."  
  
"Shut up Pip," Merry told his friend. "And listen what Aragorn has to say." Pippin shut his mouth unwillingly and looked at Aragorn, who had drawn forth his sword.  
  
Sam had looked around them when they arrived to their resting place. "There is a hill that way," he pointed to the darkness. "Maybe we should go there." Aragorn agreed and told Sam to show the way.  
  
The Fellowship ran as fast as they could to a small hill which had a crown of trees on its top. Now everyone had drawn their swords forth and was dreadfully looking at the darkness under the hill. After a while they lit a small fire on the top of the hill and waited. But no sound of the wolves was heard anymore.  
  
Merry sighed reliefed. "They have gone. I think they couldn´t smell us this far." At the moment he finished his sentence a loud roar broke the silence of the night.  
  
"There is one!" Boromir shouted and tried to see the beast.  
  
Aragorn put his sword aside and took his bow. Carefully he strained it. He stand unmoving until he suddenly released his bow and an arrow disappeared somewhere down and a stifled scream vanished in the air.  
  
"It was the only one at this moment," Gandalf said. "One of us at the time must keep watch but let the rest of us try to get some sleep now."  
  
Not before sunrise the wolves attacked again. But this time they were attacking from all around the small hill and the company had to form a circle around the fire. Even though Aragorn and Boromir were using their swords swiftly and the hobbits tried their best, there was too much of the wolves. The beasts had come on the top of the hill already when Gandalf raised his staff and cried aloud an Elvish spell. The trees on the hill caught up fire and the flaming crown frightened the wolves away.  
  
The Company was tired and quite surprised about what had happened but Gandalf did not give them a moment of rest anymore. "We have to continue immediately," he told. "We must reach the gates of Moria before the sunset."  
  
* * *  
  
Gandalf led the Fellowship again under the mountains. He was looking for the river Sirannon, the Gate-stream which lead to the gates.  
  
"Gandalf," Frodo asked quietly. He had not said anything for a long time. "Have you been in Moria ever before?"  
  
Gandalf closed his eyes briefly. "I have, once."  
  
"What kind of place is it then?" Frodo asked. "Why do they speak everywhere almost loathing of it?"  
  
"Loathing?" the wizard asked too trying to sound unknowing. "I cannot remember anything else about Moria than the paths I took to the other side. I know that Moria was built by the dwarfs a long time ago with the help of the elves. There was some disagreeing between those two peoples about it, but it was also so long ago." Gandalf raised his look. "Oh, there is the stream! Though it has dried out. But that is where we will go."  
  
The Fellowship followed Sirannon many miles. The sun was already going down when they saw a straight high cliff before them.  
  
"The walls of Moria," Gandalf sighed. Everyone turned their look to them. The black smooth wall rose and rose and they could not see any entrance in it.  
  
"Gandalf," Frodo asked suspicily. "Should we go inside to the mines from there?"  
  
"Yes Frodo," Gandalf answered. "We just have to go around this lake." A wide lake was before the walls. That was why the Gate-stream had dried.  
  
The Company walked after Gandalf to the other side of the lake. It was already dark and they had to step carefully the narrow dry land between the walls and the darkening lake. After a while Gandalf stopped and the rest could see two huge pillars rising from the ground. When they looked at them better they could see that actually they were two trees which stand beside the Gate of Moria.  
  
Gandalf looked pleased. "Now you can rest for a while," he adviced the others. "We will have to wait for the moon."  
  
When the moon rose to the sky Gandalf turned his look between the trees. "Look," he said. "Ithildin. You can see it only in moon and in star light."  
  
Two trees, two pillars, Dwarvish symbols and Elvish writing was drawn between the trees and the contours of a great door could be seen. The Fellowship looked amazed at the great work of the olds.  
  
"What´s it saying?" Sam asked Gandalf.  
  
Gandalf translated the text. "It says: speak friend and enter. So we need to say a pass word." Gandalf tried saying an Elvish word but the Gates did not open. Then he tried one in Dwarvish but the Gates remained closed. After many tries he sat down and thought. The hobbits became desperate. But finally Gandalf got the word.  
  
"It is a riddle!" he shouted. "Oh how could I not see it? Speak friend and enter." Slowly and clearly he said an Elvish word. "Mellon." The Gates crashed quietly and started to open.  
  
"No!" Frodo´s screamed got the others´ attention when they were going through the gate. "Help me!" he shouted. A long tentacle hold his ankle and was pulling him to the lake.  
  
Sam looked despairing at his friend. "Aragorn, do something!" he yelled.  
  
Aragorn draw once again his sword and with a fast wave he cut off the lake creature´s tentacle. Aragorn grabbed Frodo and ran quickly after the Company inside to the mines. A strong break was heard on the gate and big pieces of stone fell just after Aragorn and Frodo. The ceiling broke down and the Gate was blocked behind them. They could not return that way what ever in the darkness of Moria might happen.  
  
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This was probably the hardest chapter to write until this. I hope it was only because I haven´t written for many days. And I´ve already planned the last chapter, I can´t wait to write it.  
  
Sorry that I´m doing so big changes compared to the book. But it would take so much time to write everything. So I´ll shorten the Moria things too.  
  
Please review, if you just have time! 


	7. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
Now (after a long pause) I´ll try to write the seventh chapter. And we´re going to Moria. . .  
  
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Chapter 7  
  
When the gate had fallen not even the light of moon reached the mines. Everything was dark around the Fellowship. They stand still listening for more danger, but nothing was heard. Finally Gandalf lit his staff and a weak ray of light covered them. They were standing in a hall.  
  
"Gandalf," Merry asked wondering when seeing pillars and stairways. "What is this place?"  
  
Gandalf walked slowly further, the rest of the Fellowship following him. "These were great mines of Dwarves. They dig gems and mithril from here. I believe that Balin and his companions still dwell here." Gandalf stopped suddenly. On the beginning of a stairway lied an old rotten body, an arrow on it.  
  
Aragorn pulled the arrow away and examined it. "Or dwelled. This is a goblin arrow," he told grabbing his sword.  
  
Boromir held also his hand on his sword. "There´s bodies everywhere!" he looked around. "This is a tomb."  
  
The companions gathered to a small circle, everyone watching around holding their breath, prepared to act if something attacked from the shadows.  
  
But the hall was as silent as it had been before. Gandalf put his sword down and said: "Here might have been a fight. But a long time ago. I know there are orcs in these dim mines, but not right here." Gandalf set his foot on the stairs next to the death dwarf.. "We will go on. We must try to travel carefully and not to disturb this silence. We have not been seen yet. Let us hope that our dark journey will go unnoticed," he ended starting to walk up the stairway, the others following him.  
  
"I don´t like this silence," Sam muttered rising the stairs. "It´s too silent."  
  
* * *  
  
The company advanced slowly. Gandalf had estimated that it would take three or four marches to approach the Eastern side of the mountains. But walking through the black narrow paths and tunnels with only light that one faint of Gandalf´s staff was difficult. The Fellowship had walked a few hours after they came to the mines and then they had rested for the night. Yet nothing revealed that it was night, only their frail feelings. The next day they continued their journey. No one spoke anything to each other. The darkness filled their thoughts.  
  
Gandalf was leading their way. The corridors he took widened sometimes to small halls like that one by the gate. Somewhere along their journey the Fellowship could see racks and tools left beside the stone walls. When Gandalf put his staff near the walls they glimmered. There was mithril on the stone. That was what the dwarves had mined, because mithril was the most valuable material ever found, Gandalf told. Frodo shivered hearing his words and slightly touched the waistcoat under his shirt that he was wearing. Frodo had not told anyone about the gift that Bilbo had given to him when they left from Rivendell.  
  
The paths went deeper all the time. Just when it felt that they could not go any more lower, there came another stairway downwards. In one crossing the Fellowship stopped.  
  
"We shall keep a halt here," Gandalf informed to Aragorn. Quietly he whispered: "I have no memory of this place. I must think for a while."  
  
Aragorn nodded and raised his voice so that even the hobbits coming behind them could hear him. "We will keep a break here. But we will still continue before we sleep."  
  
Gandalf sat on a rock and lowered his head. Merry and Pippin hurried to the crossing and opened their rucksacks.  
  
"Do you have something to eat, Merry?" Pippin asked hopefully.  
  
Merry searched his bag. "Yes, here is. . ."  
  
"Let me guess," Pippin interrupted him. "Miruvor. But do you have anything else? I remembered I had some dried meat, but probably I´ve eaten them already. . ."  
  
Merry was also disappointed. "Me too Pip. But I think Sam has something left." Merry stood up to talk Sam but he could not see him. "Sam? Hey, where is he?" he asked from Pippin.  
  
Aragorn and Boromir sat beside them smoking their pipes. Aragorn´s face darkened. "Yeah. Where is he?" he looked around and realised something else. "And where is Frodo?" his voice darkened even more. "Frodo, Sam! Where are you?" he shouted.  
  
There came know answer. They had did not know where the ringbearer was. "No, no," Pippin cried desperately. "Not again. This can´t be happening. . . not to them."  
  
Gandalf rose up and started striding back that way where they had came. He´s face could not be seen but the wizard walked round- shouldered like carrying a heavy burden. Soon he disappeared to the shadows.  
  
"We must follow him," Aragorn said and left with Boromir after Gandalf. "Merry, Pippin," he spoke to the hobbits who did not move. "We need you too."  
  
Merry was calming Pippin, who shook uncontrolled. "We cannot come," Merry said looking sadly at his friend. "He won´t move. He says he doesn´t want to see Frodo and Sam. . . if they are. . ." Merry´s voice faded down.  
  
"Let them stay," Boromir said to Aragorn who agreed. "We must hurry now. Stay right where you are!" he finally told to the hobbits and started running with Aragorn to the darkness, leaving Merry and Pippin to fear with one almost burned torch.  
  
After a short run Aragorn and Boromir saw Gandalf. He had kneeled himself to the ground. When the two men came closer they saw that Gandalf was with Frodo and Sam, who seemed to be all right.  
  
The darkness passed from Aragorn´s face. "You are alive! But what took you so long?" he asked.  
  
Frodo sat on the ground and Gandalf was binding his ankle. Sam tried to help as well as he could. "Frodo fell," Sam started. "He hurt his ankle. That´s why we were delayed. I tried to yell to you but probably you just couldn´t here me," he explained a bit regretting.  
  
Boromir looked amused. "Hurt his ankle?" he laughed. "And we though you met a couple of black riders or something. You two almost scared us!"  
  
Sam was annoyed. "Yeah. We almost scared you." Worried he looked at Frodo. "And it´s not worth making fun of this if master cannot walk."  
  
"I´m all right," Frodo said trying to stand with Gandalf´s help. "I´m sure I can walk," he stepped with his hurt leg and grinned. "At least soon."  
  
Aragorn lifted him up. "We can carry you until you can walk. I´m so relieved that you two are still here." And he started walking back towards the crossing.  
  
To this direction the journey was longer, because Sam was tired and he could not advance quickly. Gandalf´s staff lit up their path but the crossing surprised them. They had expected to see the flame of Merry´s and Pippin´s torch and could not believe when Gandalf told that the black place was the crossing.  
  
"Apparently the torch has went out," Gandalf pondered. "I think we should spend the night here, we are all tired," he told then.  
  
Aragorn lowered Frodo hastily to the ground and walked to a dark corner. Gandalf had also seen something there and followed him.  
  
Sam looked after them. "Fro-Frodo," he´s voice shook. "Sho-shouldn´t Merry and Pip be here?"  
  
Frodo closed his eyes realising Sam´s words. When he opened them he look towards the beam of light were Gandalf stood. Quickly he closed his eyes again. Merry and Pippin were lying on the corner beside each other. Red stains widened on their skirts and arrows showed in the middle of the stains.  
  
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No, this wasn´t a well written chapter, not at all. I´m sorry.  
  
And I´m so evil. I killed Merry and Pippin! How could I?! And this story hasn´t even ended yet. You better watch out, Fellowship! 


	8. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
Sorry, it took again SO long from me to write. I wrote a story for school in Finnish and I should write a poem analysis too, but that really doesn´t sound very tempting.  
  
Thank you again for reviews (hey I got one!) but could I ask you to give me also some negative reviews? Just to make my stories better. If you just had time, I´d be very thankful!  
  
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Chapter 8  
  
Sam shook violently when he cried on the cold stone floor in the crossing. The darkness had unveiled the dead bodies of Merry and Pippin who were shot by two arrows. Aragorn, Boromir and Gandalf had all closed their eyes from the terrible view but Frodo was looking motionless to the two hobbits. A tiny tear fell to his cheek but in no other way anything revealed that he was looking at his dear friends.  
  
Unwillingly Aragorn opened his eyes and faced the truth. Slowly he walked to the corner and kneeled himself beside the hobbits. Merry and Pippin were lying side by side against the black wall, their faces left to a horrible grimace. Aragorn touched carefully the other arrow. It was an old goblin arrow. And the blade was dull. The arrow had been used many times before. Aragorn moved his hand above the wound. He wrinkled up his forehead.  
  
"Gandalf," he called. The wizard opened his eyes and rose from his thoughts. He walked to Aragorn. "Look at their wounds," Aragorn began. "They are so big and bloody. Arrows don´t usually make this kind of wounds."  
  
Gandalf looked at the wounds and pondered. "No they don´t, at least if they are shot. But here are arrows lying everywhere. Those arrows were thrusted to them." Gandalf pointed between Merry and Pippin. Their right hands were bent towards each other. "Look. When someone attacks, the victims ordinarily push their hands towards the attacker. But now it seems like they had reached for each other." Aragorn glanced realizing at the hobbits. "But maybe they just needed some comfort before the end," Gandalf pointed out. "But this is still troubling me. We could not hear any sounds of fight. Or pain."  
  
"That´s true," Aragorn agreed. "And here seems to be left no marks of anything, which could have killed them." He raised his look and stared at Gandalf. "This doesn´t seem good. I fear something. Maybe. . ."  
  
Aragorn could not finish his words when Boromir interrupted him. "What are we going to do to them?" he had managed to move at last. "I wouldn´t want to leave them here but I also don´t wish to stay in this place any longer. Who knows what follows us," he looked fearfully from Gandalf to Aragorn.  
  
"Me neither," Aragorn told and looked inquiring at Gandalf. Behind them Sam had almost stopped crying and was trying to get Frodo up.  
  
Gandalf remained still for a while and listened. "I do not think that anything hunts us right now. But we cannot find any rest here. We will continue." He kneeled next to the two pale white hobbits and closed their wide opened eyes with a gentle movement of his hand. "We have to leave them here. Shall their spirits find a safe way out of these cursed mines." Aragorn had to help the old wizard to rise up, but leaning on his staff Gandalf started walking fast to left from the crossing. Aragorn and Boromir had to force the reluctant Frodo and Sam to move after him. Gandalf was sure about his way now.  
  
* * *  
  
The five members of the Fellowship travelled a few hours before they were too wearied to go on anymore. They stopped to an even part of a tunnel and tried to fall asleep. One of them was guarding at the time, but still they felt something watching them from the shadows. A pierceful look that could even see into their thoughts, which were getting darker all the time. No one of the companions could rest and so they decided to go on. It was still a two days journey to the other side but everyone was ready to run and suffer, just to let the sunrays light their hopeless thoughts again.  
  
After a journey, which felt like days, Gandalf demanded them to stop. The hobbits were too exhausted to keep their eyes open anymore and their legs were like apart from their body, forced to move by something from outside their consciousness. The wizard let them to a wide opening, and when he put more light on his staff, they could see enormous pillars rising above them. The pillars kept on going, they could not see an end for them. Gandalf showed them a small door behind the pillars and it opened squeaking.  
  
A sudden spark of light fell to the faces of the Fellowship and they walked stunned into the hall behind the door. There was a small hole on the wall in the hall and the fair sunlight rushed from it to the darkness. The light showed a white stone in the middle of the small hall. Gandalf stepped to the stone.  
  
It was a gravestone. "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," Gandalf read respectfully and bent his head down.  
  
"He is dead then," Frodo whispered behind Gandalf. The hopeful ray of light was darkening. "Just as I feared. And just as we all will be before the end."  
  
Aragorn had stared out of the tiny hole in the wall but now he walked beside Frodo. "I understand that you feel desperate, but do not lose hope yet. We are not all dead. And there shouldn´t be a very long journey anymore in these mines, should there, Gandalf?" he asked looking at the thoughtful wizard.  
  
"No it is not a long journey. But it will be dangerous," wizard answered. "We must rest here, even is difficult," he silenced Sam who tried to oppose. "But before we start to sleep we shall keep a council. We shall solve what has happened. Why this evil has faced us."  
  
"Why waste our time tearing open painful scars, when we did not do so at the moment the evil befell us," Boromir objected tired. "What good can it bring for us?"  
  
Aragorn tried to prevent himself not to get angry. "We don´t know yet. And we have put this far enough. Eventually we must solve what happened." He glared meaningfully to everyone. "Maybe it will stop this ill work."  
  
The Fellowship sat to a circle behind the grave and ate some miruvor, before Gandalf started. "First I have to confess you something," he started. Frodo looked surprised at him. "I told you we were not followed. But actually we were. And still are."  
  
Boromir became furious. "You tell us someone is chasing us and here we just delay. We must leave immediately!" Sam was already packing his stuff.  
  
"No, no," Gandalf corrected. "No one is chasing us. Just following."  
  
"I know who it is," Frodo spoke. "It´s the creature Gollum. It´s following the Ring." He squeezed his cloak between his fingers. Gandalf nodded.  
  
Frodo´s news frightened Sam. "Then we must go! He killed Merry and Pippin because he thought they had the Ring and now he is hunting master Frodo! Gandalf we must go!" he pegged.  
  
Gandalf just remained sitting and shook his head. "Now calm down everyone. I will explain this to you." Unwillingly Sam sat back and listened. "Gollum has been following us from the moment we came to Moria. He cannot let the Ring go. He wants it back. But he did not kill the hobbits. Gollum has all the way crept behind us. And I heard he was behind us that moment our company separated. And he will not kill yet. He waits and waits. He knows we have still a long journey into Mordor, he does not have to kill just yet." A confused silence grew after Gandalf´s words. The contentment of finding the murderer quickly perished.  
  
"And," Gandalf continued wearily. "Not any orc killed them, either. Merry´s and Pippin´s hands were lying between them. And their hands were in blood." A shocked sigh spread in the hall. "It seems like they had killed each other. Thrusted the arrows at the same time."  
  
Sam and Boromir were too upset to say anything. Aragorn had guessed this already and looked worried at Frodo who had became whiter than the gravestone of Balin.  
  
"I know it is hard to believe, but that is how it seems to have happened," Gandalf explained regretting. "I cannot understand how two so dear friends could end each other´s lives. I do not know what they thought. It must have been the despair of everything that has happened. Made them imagine too much fears and it lead to this," Gandalf mourned looking at the stone floor.  
  
Aragorn had also seen the dead hobbits closely and said: "I agree with you that it seemed like they had killed each other. But still, none of us can believe that! It could have been someone else. If someone scared them they might have accidentally. . . or something. I don´t know!" he cried out desperately. "It must have been very great evil that made this happen." Strider closed his eyes and fell into dark thoughts. He looked like he had lost all the hope.  
  
"A very great evil that has followed us all the way from Eriador," Boromir broke into the conversation. "First Legolas, then Gimli and now them. I say something living and visible is killing us. Killing us one by one. And if you tell it´s not Gollum," he looked at Gandalf who did not look back. "And no one else is following us." Gandalf nodded almost unnoticeable. "Then. . ." the brave warrior of Gondor did not have the courage to state it. "It must be one of us." Sorrowly he closed his eyes avoiding the blaming looks from the others.  
  
But nobody looked at him. They were relieved. This was what they all had feared deep inside. Now when it was said aloud they did not have to hide their doubting anymore when they were sure that everyone knew it. But the relief did not stay for long. Another darkening feeling grew inside them. One of their fellow members was the betrayer. And no one of them was safe.  
  
"But that would mean that we are still in danger!" Sam screamed jumping to his feet. "Anyone of us can be the murderer," Sam withdrew backwards away from his friends. "The murderer could just kill the rest of us here at the very moment!" Sam was panicking and starting to shake uncontrollable again. Suddenly a quiet clatter was heard behind him. It did not stop but became louder and louder. Sam turned around. He hat hit a well and pushed an armoured skeleton down into it.  
  
The clatter stopped but Sam felt the horror growing inside him. He turned back to the others but could not see any countenance on their faces.  
  
Slowly Gandalf spoke: "Sam, I do not know what the murderer is trying to achieve. Or is he trying to kill us all. And I cannot tell who he is." The wizard looked everyone from eye to eye, but nothing was revealed to him. The eyes stared at each other like the eyes of Merry and Pippin, bottomless. "And there is no use to ask for confession. If someone has managed to practise these evil deeds, he will find no problems hiding them."  
  
Boromir looked unbelieving at Gandalf. "So we won´t do anything? Just wait for our deaths and hope that they will be painless?"  
  
"There is nothing we can do," Gandalf told to him. "We must all stay together every second, until we reach the woods of Lóthlorien. We will receive help there. And when we sleep, there will be two guards at the time."  
  
Boromir laughed bitterly. "And what if there is two murderers? They will have an easy task to finish the others."  
  
Aragorn drew his sword forth. "Then we will sleep our swords beside us."  
  
Frodo was quiet. He was listening to something. "Or we won´t sleep at all." Then the others heard it too. Like something gigantic was stepping heavily under them. In the deep. Drums in the deep were singing their dreadful requiem.  
  
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Took so long, but at least I wrote a long chapter.  
  
You will have to wait very long for the next chapter. My mum says I´m sitting too much in front of the computer. Yeah she´s right, but I´m just so slow writer. And I love writing. This is my only chance to be with the Fellowship. And to kill them. . .  
  
Please review! Bye bye, until our next meeting. 


	9. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
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Chapter 9  
  
Doom, doom. The sound echoed in the hall. Doom, boom, doom. The walls shook because of the sound which stroke straight into the hearts of the Fellowship.  
  
Frodo had drawn forth his sword Sting. It was glowing strong blue. "Orcs!" he cried.  
  
"Bar the door!" Aragorn shouted. "There are many of them!" He took a damaged axe from the ground and placed it before the door. "Stay close to Gandalf!" he commanded the hobbits.  
  
The sound of the drums was getting louder. Sam closed his eyes on every hit. Soon other quieter sounds were mixed into it. Sounds of approaching footsteps. Aragorn drew his bow and aimed at the door. Boromir was standing beside him, ready to defend. When a hole was hewed to the door from outside, Aragorn's arrow flew through it. It found its goal and another arrow followed. But the companions could not look long at the shaky door, because it fell rumbling. So many orcs ran in the hall that they could not be counted.  
  
The group of the orcs rushed into the dark hall, where the faint light of Gandalf's staff created shadows on the walls. A fierce fight broke between the enraged orcs and the greatly outnumbered companions. Fast moving pictures of swords and war-clubs were drawn to the walls. Even Frodo and Sam were fighting bravely, though their situation seemed hopeless.  
  
Doom, boom, doom. The sound of the drums accompanied the fight, making the orcs more furious. But Aragorn and Boromir slew many of them, and the battle was turning to the Fellowship's best.  
  
"I think we're getting the hang of this!" Sam cried out with an ironic smile, but stopped it soon. Something big had stepped to the hall.  
  
"It's a cave troll!" Boromir shouted. "We can't beat it, Gandalf," he continued while swinging his sword in a crowd of orcs.  
  
Gandalf looked at the fifteen feet high monster, which stared hungrily around the hall. "Now is the time!" he decided. "Let us go!" Gandalf turned and ran to the end of the hall. The others looked surprised at him. "Here is a door," Gandalf declared. "It will lead us to the bridge of Khazad-Dûm." Everyone followed him out of the small opening and started to run down the stairs which came behind the door. "Wait for me at the bottom, but if I do not come soon, go!" Gandalf commanded them. "I will hold the door!"  
  
Aragorn stopped. "But we cannot leave you here alone!"  
  
"Do as I say!" Gandalf said. "Swords are no more use here. Go!"  
  
Aragorn was forced to proceed and he hurried after Frodo, Sam and Boromir down the dark stairs. He met his friends at the bottom and together they went on a black tunnel, feeling the walls with their hands. They did not travel long, when a sudden white light flashed behind them.  
  
"Gandalf!" Frodo called relieved.  
  
But the wizard looked infirm, almost defeated. "I have nearly been destroyed," Gandalf explained. "You will have to do without my light. But we shall continue now! Go straight forward. The bridge is near."  
  
The Fellowship quickened their speed as much as they could. Not only Gandalf was weary, also the hobbits had suffered in the fight. When they ran forward in the tunnel, the air was getting hotter all the time.  
  
"Ghâsh," Gandalf muttered.  
  
Sam heard him. "Ghâsh. What does that mean?" he asked. When Gandalf did not answer, Sam went on. "What happened to you, Gandalf? When you didn't follow us."  
  
Gandalf sighed deep. "I could not understand what it was. It was something on fire. I could hardly stop it. I put a spell on the door, but it will not last. . ." he halted. They had come to another hall, which was lit. Lit by a red light. The air was burning.  
  
"What is this," Boromir asked frustrated. "Some new devilry? They are burning the hall!"  
  
The companions stopped breathing heavily. The orcs were drawing nearer, and the "doom, doom" was echoing all over them. An arrow flew over Frodo´s head.  
  
"Our road is cut!" Frodo yelled.  
  
Gandalf listened for a while. "Not our road. The fire has cut the road of the orcs. They are on the wrong side of it. We will go that way," he pointed to another side of the hall. "Their arrows do fly this far."  
  
The Fellowship ran desperately across the hall. The road was long, and they could hear the bitter laugh of the orcs behind the fire. On the other side of the hall the floor disappeared. It fell to the deeps. Only way which lead over the gulf to the other side was a narrow bridge.  
  
"The bridge of Khazad-Dûm," Gandalf pronounced. "It will take us to the gate. If the sun still shines, we may survive." Hastening to the bridge he told: "Frodo and Sam first. But be careful, the bridge is dangerous. It was meant to keep the Dwarves in safe."  
  
Slowly in a line the Fellowship started going over the bridge, Gandalf being the last. The hobbits were almost made it to the other side when one deafening "doom" stopped them. They turned their heads towards the hall full of fire. A great dark creature was approaching. They could not see what it was, but a terror and fear filled them.  
  
"Shadow and flame," Gandalf said. The creature stepped to the bridge and red smoke whirled around it. Gandalf's staff shone pure white. "A balrog. Now I understand." He raised his staff.  
  
The others were staring fearfully at the shadow that seemed like it was growing and darkening all the time. Boromir blew his horn. Shortly the sound of Gondor blanketed out all the evil noise and the balrog retreated. But when the horn quieted, it came back again. The balrog spread its black wings around Gandalf, who drove them back with his staff.  
  
"You shall not pass," he said firmly. "I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn! Go back to the shadow. You cannot pass!" Gandalf lifted his staff and hit it to the ground under himself. The bridge broke and cast the flaming balrog to the deep. But while it was falling, the balrog swung its whip towards Gandalf. Yet the old wizard was cautious and cast his light towards the red whip and forced it to the endless darkness into the gulf.  
  
"Gandalf!" Sam shouted relieved and started running towards the wizard who smiled frailly back to Sam. Suddenly a quiet whining was heard and an arrow hit Gandalf. He groaned with pain and fell to the ground.  
  
"No!" Aragorn cried despairing. "No!" he ran beside the wailing wizard who lied heavily on the ground. "Rise up Gandalf. Rise up! The gate is near and we'll be safe," he tried. "Don't give up now!"  
  
Gandalf coughed. Drops of blood fell to his grey cloak. The arrow had stroke right to his chest and pierced his lungs. He spoke: "No, I cannot come. Balrog was too strong for me. I do not have any strength left." Aragorn could see that speaking hurt him. "You must go. Lead them on, Aragorn. The sun may still shine outside." Gandalf draw breath the last time and silenced. With shaking hands and misty eyes Aragorn touched the wizard's wrist. Gandalf's heart had stopped.  
  
For many minutes Aragorn stayed still, not noticing the arrows flying around him. Not until Boromir grabbed his cloak and pulled him up. "We must get out!" he shouted. "Or the orcs are going to kill us all!" Boromir started to drag Aragorn over the bridge.  
  
Aragorn did not move. "We cannot leave him here! I cannot even imagine what the orcs can do to his body. We must bury him!" Aragorn went back to the wizard.  
  
"We don't have time for that!" Boromir screamed hopeless. "He wanted you to lead us. Do it," he begged his friend.  
  
Aragorn stared at Gandalf and nodded. "But I will not let them disgrace him." And with a gentle push he dropped Gandalf to the darkness.  
  
Doom. Doom. The drum beats had slowed when Aragorn, Boromir, Frodo and Sam ran up the stairs out of the mines. A weak light grew on every step they took. They rushed out from the Great Gates and Aragorn beat a group of orcs by killing their leader without even looking at it. The blazing light showed their way out of Moria.  
  
They did not stop until they were out of bowshot from the walls. But the one last fading "doom" took all the strength away from them and they fell to the ground. They all burst out to tears except Frodo. His face was like the stones around the Fellowship, the slopes of the Misty Mountains, where they had to leave three of their friends. 


	10. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
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Chapter 10  
  
"We must leave," Aragorn forced himself to stand up. "We must be far away from these hills before nightfall." He looked at his three sorrowful companions feeling sorry for them.  
  
Boromir and Sam managed to rise wearily, but Frodo lied still on the rock. Sam begged him: "Master, please stand up! You don't want the orcs to get you, do you?" he asked, his voice turning desperate when Frodo did not move. Sam shook him by the shoulders, but Frodo only lied more heavily on the ground. "Get up, master Frodo, get up!" Sam commanded him. "The orcs and the balrog and everything will come and kill also the rest of us if we stay here," he tried. "We must go," his despairing voice broke.  
  
Frodo knew their situation. "But would that be so terrible?" he asked bitterly. "We are going to be killed anyway, so why not here? No suffering anymore," he whispered darkly.  
  
Sam burst out into tears. "No!" he hugged strongly his friend. "Try to hang on, master. We'll soon be in Lothlórien and surely the elves can help us."  
  
The two men had been watching further away but now Aragorn hurried to Frodo and Sam. He stopped a few feet aside from them. "Sam," he started trying to sound as friendly as possible. "I wish you wouldn't be so near to Frodo."  
  
Sam turned amazed at him. "What are you saying?" he got angry. "Do you mean I couldn´t comfort him when he himself can't?"  
  
"We cannot trust to anyone of us. You know it, Sam," Aragorn stated. "That's why we shouldn't be too close to each other. We must see each other all the time, but not touch. This is just for the safe," he finished regretting. Forcedly Sam parted from Frodo, who furthermore laid on the rock, unwilling to move.  
  
Boromir came also to the others. "Please Frodo. The Ring must be taken onwards. And it is your responsibility to take it," he said, having a slightly disapproving tone in his voice.  
  
Aragorn glanced at Boromir with a suspicious look and then back to Frodo. "He is right," he had to admit. "We must at least try."  
  
Slowly Frodo rose from the ground. He stared tightly to his companions and took a step backwards. Sam tried to support the weak and exhausted Ring Bearer but Frodo retreated out of his grasp. "We will go on," he agreed to the relief of the others. "But I will walk after you all. I want to guard your steps."  
  
"Well then," Aragorn spoke after an astonished silence because of Frodo's words. "I will lead us and Boromir will come after me. Then Sam. Frodo may be the last one." He took his stuff from the ground and looked to the east. "We have many miles to go before we reach Lothlórien." He began to stride towards the forest.  
  
Boromir headed after him. "If we ever reach it," he muttered.  
  
The Fellowship started their rambling down the mountains, everyone glancing often over their shoulders to be sure that their friends, whom they could not trust anymore, were walking enough far away from them.  
  
* * *  
  
No-one spoke to each other during their journey until a great forest opened before the eyes of the companions.  
  
"The Woods of Lothlórien!" Aragorn cried out and the Fellowship halted, staring at the grey stems and the golden leaves. The high old trees made them feel themselves so small and they remembered that they had not rested for many days.  
  
"My legs won't move anymore, however I try," Sam complained. "Soon that someone of us who has killed everyone doesn't have to kill me anymore, because I'll be so tired that I cannot close my eyes and won't be able to sleep and the exhaustion will finish me because I'm so tired." Sam drew sharply breath after a too long sentence.  
  
Normally Sam's ironic joke would have made his friends laugh, but now it only reminded them about the close danger. Instinctively everyone moved their hands towards their swords and threw furtive looks to the others.  
  
Aragorn sighed deeply. "I'm afraid too that we'll have to sleep. We won't be able to reach the Gate without a short rest." Strider did not look so brave as he did in the beginning of their quest. "We'll sleep two guards on watch at the time. But let us go to the woods before the stop."  
  
About ten feet from Aragorn stand Boromir who shouted at him: "Is there no other way?" he stared with suspicion at the dense forest.  
  
Aragorn took a careful step towards him. "What do you mean? There'll be others beside us in Cerin Amroth and that'll be safer. And I do trust to Lady Galadriel's wisdom."  
  
Boromir looked uneasy. "But those trees." Aragorn turned his eyes towards the quivering leaves. "The murderer," Boromir continued. "Whoever he is, he can kill easily there. If we walk near to each other, he can stab us. If we keep a distance, we won't be able to see everyone of us. The forest is too thick. And moreover I can't see any way how the elven queen could help us. Or maybe by taking the Ring to herself. . ."  
  
"Don't continue!" Aragorn interrupted him forcibly. "You do not know the power of Galadriel. She is the last one of Noldor in Middle-Earth, and you shall not offend her." Aragorn started walking towards the trees, Sam and Frodo slowly following him. "And you seem to have thought quiet much about the ways how the murderer could kill us. . ." Aragorn carped to Boromir, who shook his head and bent it down, but stepped also under the unfamiliar trees.  
  
* * *  
  
The Fellowship walked a while forward in the forest. They crossed the river Nimrodel and also the hobbits had to wade through it, because they could not risk to get too close to each other. Even Sam and his master Frodo had to keep a distance of a five or six feet, though they had been reliable friends for very long. Soon the company turned from the path to a darker part of the forest, and saw a cluster of trees a short distance before them.  
  
"We shall hold here!" Aragorn decided and quickly ran towards the cluster. The others were too weary to quicken their pace like that and followed him slower. Aragorn had just reached the trees when a shout stopped him.  
  
"Daro!" he heard and immediately after that came a whistling noise. A group of whistling noises, which Aragorn could recognise as flying arrows. He turned around and heard a cry of pain. "Boromir!" he knew the voice and began to ran back where he came. He had not run far, when a group of green-clothed elves closed his way.  
  
"Stop," they commanded him in the common language. "You have entered the Woods of Lothlórien without a permission." The elves held Aragorn and prevented him from leaving.  
  
Panic started to grow inside Aragorn. "We are friends of the Lady of the Wood. I'm Aragorn, son of Arathorn," he tried to explain. "Please, let me see my friend. I believe he's been shot."  
  
Hastily the elves let Aragorn go and he raced towards the cries of Boromir, the elves following him. Aragorn found his companions where he had departed from them. Frodo, Sam and four elves who were holding them had gathered around Boromir, who laid on the ground, two arrows sticking on his chest.  
  
Aragorn looked disbelieving at the green-elves, who seemed reluctant to give an account about what had happened. Finally one of them spoke. "We heard sounds of footsteps and came to look what it was. We saw a warrior walking and we hid behind trees. For safe we aimed our bows at him. We had no mean to release the arrows!" the blond-haired elf defended. "But suddenly a scream, that sounded like some kind of a beast, scared us, and we discharged. Accidentally we hit him," the elf ended regretting and nodded towards Boromir, who was coughing up blood, Aragorn staying next to him.  
  
"I managed to get myself killed without the murderer slaying me," Boromir said to Aragorn, failing to smile. "I am sorry," he whispered. Aragorn tried to calm him, conflicting thought crossing around in his own mind. Boromir was becoming seriously pale. "But I wasn't the murderer," he said emphatically. "I wasn't! I know you think so but it wasn't me." Giving the assurance was too hard for the victim of the accurately and mortally shot elven arrows, and the son of the Steward of Gondor died the future King of Gondor next to him.  
  
Aragorn looked at his companion silently. "I am sorry for him," he heard an elf say. Aragorn turned his face toward Frodo and Sam, whose faces seemed to have a kind of relieved expression, though they were shocked.  
  
"We will take you to Galadriel," the elves declared, and the Fellowship withdrew with them at once. The elves carried Boromir's body and left the three companions without further questioning.  
  
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Oh, this chapter is kind of confusing, isn't it? So I wish to get reviews to tell that to me, and even better if you could advice how to make my story less confusing! Thanks! 


	11. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
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Chapter 11  
  
The Fellowship of three was lead through the old trees. One of the elves had tried to bind their eyes but he had been denied, because the looks of the company did not seem to be noticing the ways they were taken. The minds behind their eyes were empty right now, finally they had found the peace in the secret and silent atmosphere of Lóthlorien.  
  
The companions were drawn away from their unconscious state when the elven retinue arrived to an opening. The companions looked to the elves who were staring at something. A hill, crowned with trees, was rising before them proudly against the blue sky. Aragorn sighed, when some distant memories, from a time and place he had almost forgotten on their had journey, filled his mind.  
  
"You are come to Cerin Amroth," and elf said to him and to the two small hobbits, not knowing what to think about these three mysterious wanders. "And to the city of the Galadhrim at dusk."  
  
The elves let Frodo, Sam and Aragorn climb the hill walking on their own, but kept them within reach. Four elves were carrying the body of Boromir. They did not know whether he would be buried in Lóthlorien or carried onwards, but he could not have been left to the forest. In regardless of their friend being carried dead among them, or maybe because of that, the remaining members of the Fellowship felt their spirits getting lighter when they saw the dazzling flowers on the grass of Cerin Amroth.  
  
Carefully Sam made his way towards Frodo, the elves not stopping him. "Master," he whispered. Frodo turned slowly his face towards Sam. "This place," Sam continued, pondering how to express his feelings. "I think we really are protected here. I mean these elves and everything fair around us. From now on we'll be safe," Sam concluded surely, but Frodo contended just by nodding faintly, yet his countenance softened.  
  
* * *  
  
The Fellowship walked as in a dream among the elves, and was soon brought to the city. They climbed up to a tree, frail but beautiful singing echoing all around them. They came to a chamber, which was filled by bright, silver light. Two tall elves stepped before them from the shadows. The companions had to bend their looks down, so outstanding was the fairness of Lady Galadriel. Her golden hair framed her pale and calm face. She wore her clear white dress with a dignified carriage, which clearly told her being the last one in Middle-Earth who had once seen the Light of the Undying Lands.  
  
"Welcome," the other elf beside Galadriel spoke. "Frodo of the Shire. I am Celeborn, Lord of the Woods." He was clad in white too yet his hair was silver. "But I see a great grief has faced your company. Has there been a new counsel we have not heard of, when so few of the Nine Companions are here now?" he then asked dimly.  
  
Galadriel's eyes darkened but she still stood proudly and hold her head up. "Your quest has travelled in the middle of an impermeable bemist, and it has brought down many. Even Gandalf the Wise. . ." for a second her voice failed and she looked at the ground. The Fellowship dared to lift their looks to get a glimpse of her but quickly she was again staring deeply at them and held their eyes. "And the mist has arose from within the Company," she spoke and stared straight at the companions one by one. It was like she had spoken to them, though her lips did not move anymore. "Something was destroying your quest," her soft and low voice filled their minds. "But it is over now. He is dead."  
  
* * *  
  
For many days the Fellowship remained in Lóthlorien, but all they could remember of their stay was that they ate and rested. The ambience in the Galadhrim's city was like time had passed the forest and left a small place in the world without the growing evilness, at least for now. Aragorn and Sam felt their spirits arising and the dread they had felt their entire journey started to pass. But Frodo felt the pain furthermore. Every time he managed to be a while without thinking the quest and what had befallen them the Ring started to feel heavier and made him remember it all once more.  
  
One night Frodo and Sam where wandering around under the high trees where the houses of the Galadhrim were built. Then Lady Galadriel met them and lead them to a secret, enclosed garden. There a small stream ran to a silver basin.  
  
"Do you wish to look into the Mirror?" Galadriel asked the hobbits, who seemed afraid but also a kind of curious to try the silver water.  
  
"What will I see?" Sam asked carefully, taking a short step towards the basin.  
  
Galadriel smiled mysteriously. "That I cannot tell, because that is the choice of the Mirror. It can how things pleasant to you, but also things that you will you had not seen, for they are true. Do you wish to look?" she asked again.  
  
Sam walked slowly to the basin and bent towards it. The surface of the water started to tremble and it formed pictures before Sam's eyes. His countenance was at first happy, but suddenly it changed. Quickly Sam drew his eyes away and walked apart from the basin.  
  
"What did you see?" Frodo asked him quietly.  
  
Sam just shook his head. "First everything was so beautiful but then. . ." he muttered angrily and walked away.  
  
Unsure also Frodo approached the water. He looked questioningly at Galadriel, who nodded. Frodo turned his eyes to the water, which was now black and whirling. For a long time he stared at it and started to slip forward.  
  
"Do not touch the water!" Galadriel commanded softly and the vision on the basin faded. Frodo was drawn away from the basin, breathing heavily. "I know what did you saw," Galadriel told. "For that is what will happen it you will fail," she stated coldly. "It Sauron finds the Ring."  
  
Frodo watched despairing at her. "What chance do I have? I almost could not bring it this far, and from now on the quest will be even harder. I can't do this!" he cried out miserably.  
  
Galadriel felt sympathy for him. "Frodo, it is over now. The one who spread the evil mist inside your company is gone now. But still," she warned. "Trust no-one. Maybe yourself, if you have no other choice. The Ring is perilous."  
  
From her words a thought came to Frodo's mind. He unfastened the Ring from the chain and stretched it out to Galadriel. "Then I will give it to you. It is far too strong for me," he offered hopefully.  
  
Galadriel reached her hand towards the Ring, but suddenly something stopped her. She still held her hand shaking above the Ring but it seemed like she was struggling against her own will. Finally she drew her hand away and laughed with a clear laugh. Frodo looked unbelieving at her. "For so many years I have wondered, what to do if the One Ring came within my grasp," she spoke. "And now when it is freely given to me I realise. The evil deeds in the Fellowship were caused by it and even I could not resist its will. My power would be turned to malicious works, and that power would be too terrible."  
  
"No!" Frodo opposed and pushed the Ring in front of her. "You could use the Ring for good! And make everything so fair and beautiful as in these woods," he tried desperately, though knowing, that the Lady had already decided.  
  
She shook her head sadly. "Nay. It would begin like that, but soon everything would be ruined. Lóthlorien will be ruined what ever happens, our people must go to the West and I shall diminish. But many will stay here, and for them you must try, " she said. "You may succeed Frodo. Just do not underestimate the power of the Ring. You have seen what it can do."  
  
Frodo wanted to believe Galadriel that he really could one day at last reach the slopes of Mount Doom and end the darkness, but like she had said, he could not trust anyone, even her.  
  
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Another tricksy chapter, which even I cannot understand. I hope I will learn to write better before I write the next chapter, because that will be so. . . hmm. . . exciting! Hopefully. Please review! 


	12. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
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Chapter 12  
  
The same night, when Frodo and Sam had looked into the mirror of Galadriel, the Fellowship was summoned to a council. With a weary voice the Lady of the Woods told them that the time had come for them to continue their journey. The night before her words would have made the hobbits miserable, but now they received them without any expressions. The visions in the mirror had forced them to go on and try to fulfil their quest. Actually their journey seemed now lighter than before. The dangers seemed to been left behind.  
  
Equipped by a grey elven boat, light ropes and elven hoods and cloaks to help them hide unfriendly eyes, the company set on. They bid the Galadhrim farewell in the morning dusk, the white swan boat of Galadriel slowly gliding apart from them. The tall trees of Lóthlorien passed away from the reach of their eyes, and they were alone again.  
  
Aragorn held the paddle, but he did only rarely any movements to move their boat. The stream pushed the boat onwards and Aragorn was unwilling to part from the calming woods any faster. Though he was not in a dark mood. The sun peeping through the lowering trees on the river coast made them all almost cheerful.  
  
"Oh," in the stern of the boat sitting Sam sighed, and the others turned to look at him inquiring. "You know what she gave to me?" he continued proudly. "A box. A beautiful box full of the softest soil I've ever touched," he answered slowly, enjoying of the memory. "The soil of her woods. It will make all the flowers, where ever you set them, grow fast."  
  
"She evidently saw, that you have the talent to use the soil to the best purposes," Aragorn said and smiled, raising the spirits of the gardener hobbit even higher.  
  
"I will make the whole Hobbiton as beautiful as Lóthlorien is!" Sam got excited. "I will have the trees of silver and gold and. . ."  
  
"As beautiful as Lóthlorien is," Aragorn interrupted him. He stared straight ahead to the small circling waves of the river and turned grave. "They will remind everyone of Lóthlorien. And it shall not be forgotten. . ."  
  
Sam stared puzzled to Strider. Frodo understood what their sometimes so strange seeming friend had spoken, but had a more dimmer thought in own his mind. "You seem to suppose, Sam, that we'll be back home soon." Now Sam turned his eyes at his master, whom he had believed already having set aside the pessimistic ideas. "I am not that certain," Frodo continued. "That we would get home at all."  
  
Just being delighted with the gift and the sunshine Sam felt Frodo's words aching heavily. He fought back the tears just by attacking too with words. "No!" he shouted. "You heard what Galadriel spoke. Boromir is dead and now we'll be safe. And however terrified we are, we have to complete our task." Sam could not speak angrily to Frodo for long and he ended: "And to go home." Tears filled his eyes.  
  
Aragorn drew his look away from the waves. The unexpected fight between the hobbits had woken him from his memories. "Calm down, Sam," he tried. "Frodo is partly right. We are all the time closer to Mordor. The servants of the enemy have started haunting our steps. This is where our obstacles really begin," he concluded watching the eastern shore of the river. Frodo bent scared his darkening face also under the trees and seemed to be seeing something.  
  
Sam looked his companions faithlessly and told disapprovingly to Aragorn: "How encouraging! Your attitude will truly help us to go on." He meant to stop but had to add a remark sarcastically. "But no, I was wrong, you are so wise, Strider. Maybe the orcs will think we are dead and pass us if we just lay on the ground and pretend we really are dead. Or then," Sam threw a sharp look at Frodo, who still stared the shore with suspicion. "They will find a good, pre-killed meal in us."  
  
* * * The company rested for one night on the shores of the great river Anduin and continued next morning. They did not speak to each other almost at all, though it worried neither Aragorn nor Frodo. They seemed to be contented in their own thoughts, just letting the river push them onwards. But Sam was irritated about the silence. He tried to make the others notice him by sighing deeply and poorly and kept turning around uneasy. But his attempts did not change anything, Aragorn and Frodo sat still and enjoyed a moment's peace.  
  
In the evening Aragorn led the boat again to the shore and pulled it onto dry land. They could not travel in the darkness, the river might be perilous. They laid their few packages under some small trees, which still grew in the region they were. The further south they travelled, the fewer trees there lived.  
  
"I am taking the first watch," Aragorn said while he drew his cloak tighter on him. "Go to sleep," he bid the hobbits.  
  
Frodo laid himself to the ground and closed his eyes immediately but Sam was still standing up. "Are we not going to light a fire?" he asked with an authoritative tone of voice.  
  
Aragorn looked at him inquiring. "But we didn't have a fire yesterday either," he told Sam determinedly. "It is no use."  
  
"But I feel cold," Sam did not give up.  
  
Aragorn shook his head. "These trees are short and wet. They won't burn well." He was getting angry at the stubborn hobbit. "Go to sleep, so that we can go on tomorrow."  
  
"Look at him," Sam pointed anxious at Frodo who tried desperately to sleep. "The ground is cold," he raised his voice. "Do you want us to get sick?"  
  
For many seconds there was a silence, when Sam and Aragorn stared at each other. Then Aragorn turned around and started walking towards some groups of trees further away from the river. "You two stay right were you are," he yelled without even looking behind his back to the hobbits.  
  
Sam gazed after Aragorn until he could not see him or hear his steps anymore. "Thinks that he can make us do whatever he wants," Sam murmured to himself.  
  
Frodo gathered his blanket better on him. "Go to sleep Sam. He will take care of the fire," he whispered tired.  
  
"He takes good care of everything else too," Sam spoke now to Frodo, who was forced to rise to sit. "He tells us where to go, when to sleep. . ." Sam listed dimly. "He has planned everything so carefully that I start to feel that we are not the ones he in reality cares about." Sam cast a meaningful look at Frodo.  
  
Frodo looked terrified at his friend, who stood in front of him hands crossed and with a stern expression on his face. "You don't really mean that Sam, do you?" Frodo asked unsure. "I think he has been very loyal whole our journey. He has sacrificed his life for us!" he tried to assure Sam. "And Gandalf trusted to him. . ." he ended, the grief memory of Gandalf hurting him.  
  
"True," Sam suddenly laughed shortly. "Gandalf trusted to him and look what happened! No help from our faithful Strider when Gandalf was in danger." He lowered himself beside Frodo to the ground and whispered. "Haven't you noticed? The way he's always buried in his own secret thoughts and then abruptly he wakes up and says something strange. And the way he looks at you all the time. . ." Frodo raised slowly his hand, grabbing the chain hanging on his neck, but carefully listening Sam's words. "I'm sure he wants the Ring to himself," Sam judged.  
  
Frodo seemed to be very uncertain about what to think. "But still, I cannot believe it. . . He may want it, but because his wisdom he knows that he cannot take it," Frodo was trying to find an explanation for the problem. "I see know reason why we should fear him," he decided.  
  
Sam was getting annoyed. "No reason why we should fear him?!" he almost screamed. "But can't you see?" he continued imploring. "He has killed all the others, and next he will kill us! We have much to fear him for."  
  
"No, no, Sam," Frodo shook determinedly his head. "Don't you remember? Even Lady Galadriel saw that the murderer was Boromir. And to her I trust."  
  
Sam tried to calm down. "And she may be right," he admitted. "But she didn't say it was Boromir alone." When he heard these words Frodo's eyes widened. "For Minas Tirith, for Gondor. And for the race of men," Sam went on. "They did it together." Frodo tried to oppose him but Sam still continued: "Aragorn did not want us to light a fire now. Easier for him to get rid of us if we are sick! And isn't it strange that he left us here alone? One of us could kill the other! But no. He knows that the murderer is away, for it is him."  
  
Frodo held the chain on his neck very tightly and desperately. "But why?" he cried.  
  
Sam smiled faintly when at last he had been believed. "He is the heir of Isildur. The same weak blood flows in his veins."  
  
"We can't travel onwards with him," Frodo yelled. "We'll be dead before we depart from this river!" He had become hysterical.  
  
"No we can't," Sam said abnormally confidently. "But I have a plan." Frodo turned to look at Sam, who smiled faintly. "Tomorrow," he started very quietly. "When we are on the river again, you fake that you stagger and almost fell to the water. Then Aragorn has to try to save you. And then," he held a pause. "We push him off from the boat."  
  
Frodo stared at Sam in shock. "You mean to kill him! No, I don't want. . ." he resisted.  
  
"We won't kill him!" Sam explained quickly. "We'll just. . . delay him. He'll be able to swim to the shore, but he won't be able to follow us, at least for a long time. And by then, we and the Ring will be too far away," he ended satisfied. Frodo nodded thoughtfully, but spoke nothing. "Now we must lay ourselves down and pretend that we sleep," Sam instructed Frodo and crept under his own blanket. "But must not really fall asleep."  
  
After a short time Aragorn returned, his arms full of the driest wood he could find. He lit the fire in silence, carefully not to wake up the hobbits, who seemed to be sound asleep.  
  
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I didn't kill anyone in this chapter either! I guess I'm just becoming nice. . . No, no, just kidding!  
  
My story draws near its end and now I BEG for reviews! Please, please, please. . . I'm desperate. 


	13. 

Nine Little Ring Bearers  
  
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Chapter 13  
  
The sun of the next day rose up shining blue, cold light. The night would have been cold without Strider's fire. He had kept the fire going all night for the sake of the sleeping hobbits. Except that the hobbits had not sleep. Frodo had believed Sam's warnings and followed the passing of the night thinking and summoning courage.  
  
Strider covered the extinguished fire with dust and walked silently towards the river. He had been this quiet ever since they left Lóthlorien, but now he seemed also somewhat wrathful. He had already reached the boat and was about to push it off when the hobbits ran to him. They cast condemning looks on him about almost leaving them to the shore, but Aragorn did not look back on them. He just grabbed the paddle and started to canoe them fast onwards.  
  
It could have been Strider's fury or then the river was flowing stronger than before, but the views started to change quickly. Thick woods grew on the shores of the river. The hobbits might have wanted to ask about their location if they had not been waiting nervously the right moment to act. They could not communicate with each other except for with some meaningful looks that did not help much. Strider was now sitting so tightly and determinedly in the boat that Sam's idea did not seem so clever anymore as it used to.  
  
Frodo was not anymore so sure about it that Strider would try to save him if he fell from the boat. "It will be me who's going to drown, it appears," he thought dimly.  
  
Hours passed in unbreakable silence, and now the river clearly was going faster. But then he silence was broke down by a sudden sigh. Aragorn had stopped paddling and stared deeply in front of him. From the river rose two tremendous statues presenting two noble men with crowns. They had stretched their left hands towards the ones who were going to enter the kingdom of Gondor.  
  
"Argonath", Strider whispered, totally enchanted by the statues.  
  
Frodo woke also up from his thoughts. He admired not the statues but the change in Aragorn. His face had become soft and there was a never-ending abyss in his eyes.  
  
But Sam had been ready. He took benefit from the weakening of Aragorn's attention and threw all his weight against him. Aragorn was utterly stupefied and Sam grasped the paddle from him. At this point Frodo had woken up and hurried to pull Aragorn's legs to shake his balance. When Sam hit Aragorn violently with the paddle at the same time, the hobbits manage to throw him over board. With a great splash he fell to the water and sank.  
  
The surface became steady and the boat moved on. "So now we've got rid of hiiiiiiim," Sam could not finish his sentence when the boat trembled frantically and Aragorn lifted his face from the water. He was hanging from the end of the boat where Frodo was. Aragorn was reaching his hands towards Frodo but could not manage to get a grip of him. He fell unconscious and loosened his hold from the boat. Sam had hit him with the paddle. Frodo watched Strider's body falling behind him while Sam started to paddle.  
  
"We've got to get away from here", Sam just said.  
  
* * *  
  
Without Strider Sam did not know where they were meant to go, but he was forced to take the boat to the shore when they heard the thunder of a waterfall. "We'll stay here for the night and change to the Eastern shore tomorrow", he told Frodo. "Tomorrow, I guess, we will have to leave the boats and start walking towards."  
  
"Towards Mordor," Frodo finished. Sam was taken back with that name, but Frodo pronounced it steadily. "Sam", he began. "Even that place does not sound so frightening anymore, when we have survived from the worst that could be. There is no one anymore with us that we should rely on but would not know if we could trust to. We will fulfil our quest," he said trustfully.  
  
Sam was not that satisfied. "But you've forgotten something and someone. Firstly, the orcs of Sauron. I bet he has sent masses of them to welcome us when we enter his land."  
  
Frodo did not lose his spirit. "We have always known that. But the evil that grew from within our fellowship was far more dangerous. The orcs will not stop us, Sam! We have got the elven cloaks and everything!" he tried to cheer Sam up.  
  
"And secondly," Sam continued even more darkly. "That creature Gollum. It won't be cheated by elven cloaks."  
  
Frodo started to doubt. "But it could not have followed us on the river, could it?" he asked.  
  
"It could have," Sam answered. "And it will follow us where ever we'll go. The ring hanging on your neck will be an easy piece for it."  
  
Mentioning the ring made Frodo jump up to his feet. "Then we will have to continue. Now, immediately!" He started to prepare the boat for leaving, when a sound came from the woods on their side of the river.  
  
The hobbits listened quietly and heard more sounds. Sounds of many feet touching the ground in a quick pace. Voices of an ill language.  
  
"Orcs!" Sam spoke. "They are after the ring."  
  
Frodo jumped to the boat. "Then we must go, hurry!"  
  
But Sam did not move.  
  
"Come, so they cannot catch us!" Frodo begged desperately.  
  
"You don't see it, do you?" Sam asked calmly. Frodo stared at him. Sam continued: "There are orcs on the other shore too, they will catch us." The shouts from the woods were closer. "I said the ring hanging on your neck would be easy for them to take, but the ring in your finger."  
  
"No!" Frodo screamed. "We cannot use it!"  
  
Now Sam moved towards the boat. His voice started to rise. "But now it's the same as we were handing it to them. It's hopeless to try to destroy it without using it to our advantage. It will be madness to try to destroy it anyhow."  
  
Frodo hit the paddle to the shore and was going to push the boat to the river. "Fine," his voice was breaking. "If you are afraid to do it, then I must go alone!" he cried.  
  
Sam was fast. He jumped into the boat and thrust his sword into Frodo's chest. "You are not taking the ring away from me", he hissed between his teeth. "Give it to me!" he tore the chain from Frodo and closed the ring inside his fist.  
  
Frodo was choking. The sword had pierced his heart and he could nearly breath. "So that is what you wanted? For how long?" he asked, with more disappointment than bitterness in his voice.  
  
Sam held his fist against his chest and smiled wickedly. "For long, for long.and so much", he kept on hissing.  
  
Frodo's cloak was coloured red with blood. "So long and so much, that you were able to kill all your friends. Including me", Frodo spoke quietly.  
  
Suddenly the hissing stopped. "Kill?" Sam asked aghast. "No, no." he shook his head vigorously. "I was just protecting you. They were all after the ring, they could have done anything to you, I could not let it happen, not to my Master, no." he turned his look at Frodo and realised that he had died. "No, Master!" Sam yelled. "Don't you leave me, not your Sam!" he was hugging Frodo and shaking him from side to side, like he had been comforting a baby. "I didn't want you to go there without me. I didn't want you to get killed. Not now when we were together, just you and your Sam." His tears were falling on Frodo and mixed up with his blood.  
  
The shrieks of the orcs were now very close. Sam did not have much time to think, but he did not want the orcs to bring shame to Frodo's body. He placed Frodo onto the floor of the boat. He put Frodo's hands on his chest and deposited Sting between them. Without even thinking he slipped also the ring in its chain to Frodo's neck. He gave a strong push to the boat and watched it starting to flow slowly towards the waterfall.  
  
Now the orcs had come so close that they could see Sam. Because of their awful roars Sam's quite whisper was voiceless. "Don't you go without your Sam, Master." With a peaceful look on his face Sam turned around, threw away his sword and watched the orcs run at him.  
  
* * *  
  
Meanwhile a hissing creature had seen something small but golden travelling down the waterfall and dived after it.  
  
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I started this story in January and I've had difficulties in beginning to write the last chapter. There have been no other readers except my cousin (thank you Zandrah!) for a long time and I guess you'll be the only one reading my ending. Anyway, I did it. 


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